plate no. 5505

Girl with Beads

George Stefanescu, 1969

oil, cardboardExpressionismportraitportraitfigurenecklacehairfaceclothing

some experience helpful

This painting is great for practicing expressive brushstrokes and simplifying a portrait into basic shapes and colors. Students will learn to capture a likeness with minimal detail and focus on conveying emotion through color and texture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and necklace with charcoal.
step 02
Apply a thin wash of raw umber or burnt sienna to the background.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color: pink for the dress, brown for the hair, and flesh tones for the face.
step 04
Use visible brushstrokes to define the contours of the face and clothing.
step 05
Add details to the necklace and hair with a smaller brush.
step 06
Refine the shadows and highlights to create depth.
step 07
Use black paint to define the eyes.
step 08
Add final touches and adjust colors as needed.

color palette

primary · raw umber · titanium white · cadmium red light

secondary · black · burnt sienna

Mix pink by combining cadmium red light and titanium white. Create skin tones by mixing raw umber, cadmium red light, and titanium white. Use raw umber thinned with solvent for the initial wash.

techniques